Comments on: Christian Bale’s Fitness Workouts for Batman, The Dark Knight

By: Robbie

Robbie — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:30:44 +0000

Is it really possible to transform your body like this? I know Bale was fit before he became skin and bones for the recording of Maschinist. And that does help when you later start going back to the gym.
But 40 kg of muscle in this short time? AND AS A VEGETARIAN! Well he hasn’t got me….he surely used something illegal. To build those massive muscles…you first have to bulk up and then get rid of the excess weight to get lean. doing cardio as running will NEVER help you on your way to bulking.
Can you give me an honest answer and say that he did this NATURAL???

And for the record….protein shakes are a mass industry…you are just as well of drinking a large glass of milk and a banana just after training…and then eating HEALTHY good dinner as soon as you get back home.
If you are not on bodybuilder level….no extras are needed…just plain food and cut the alcohol.

Thanks for me.

By: MotleyHealth

MotleyHealth — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:56:10 +0000

Martial arts training should be OK, just do not over do it. Depends on how fit you are. You want to be able to recover from the weight training to build the muscle.

By: G

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:28:37 +0000

I’ve been letting my exercise regime slip for a few weeks now and have been looking for something new to get my head into. I’ve been looking at the “Bond” workout plan and this one. As a result I’ve drawn up my own personal programme which I think I can fit into my weekly routine. The one question I had was whether something like Tae Bo would be suitable for the Active Rest day or not?

By: Ted

Ted — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:29:24 +0000

Re protein. You can absolutely bulk up without animal protein. I have been a vegetarian (no meat, no fish) for 6 years and vegan (no diary, eggs, etc) for the last 2. Have exercised since my teens (am 42 now) and always been conscious of nutrition and particularly, protein to keep muscle mass as I get lean very easily. Used to eat a lot of chicken and fish and was concerned I would lose a lot of muscle without meat protein.

Since being a vegan I have consumed near or just below an ounce of vegen protein per pound of my bodyweight per day. Vegan protein does not include whey, but instead vegetable sources such pea, brown rice, soya, hemp. If you consume protein powder with a mix of sources, you can get the full range of required amino acids. In terms of ability to build mass, be fit and be strong, I have noticed there is absolutely no difference in protein from meat vs vegetable sources. What I did notice is that I immediately got leaner once I removed meat and dairy from my diet.

By: MotleyHealth

MotleyHealth — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 08:35:52 +0000

Impossible to know unless we speak with Alfred. It could be based on wheat grass, but it could be any type of "Green drink". Generally green drinks are a combination of green vegetables made into a smoothie. Typical ingredients include: Wheat grass, Parsley, Lettuce, Celery, Spinach, Apples, Carrot, Lemon and Lime. Here's a YouTube clip that may help.

By: charlie

charlie — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:31:58 +0000

So what is that one shake that Christian Bale drinks in the movie thats made up of grass? Is it wheat grass?

By: Mikey

Mikey — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:30:59 +0000

Hi, very interesting routine. Have you got something like that from Bale for The Dark Knight movie? This is now for Batman Begins, in TDK he doesn’t have many muscles but he was also trained.
greetz

By: MotleyHealth

MotleyHealth — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:09:51 +0000

Yes, this should not be a problem. The general rule is to do your strength training before cardio. You may find you need to compromise the running to start with, but no reason why you cannot do both. Athletes and sports persons do both running an weight training sessions throughout the week.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:27:21 +0000

I jog for about 5 miles 4 days a week, as a way of losing weight, but I’d like to start taking on this training programme at the same time.

Would I be fine in doing both this programme and my jogging?

By: MotleyHealth

MotleyHealth — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:09:04 +0000

Bodybuilding is certainly the answer. You need to work hard, eat well (with plenty of protein, but not too much saturated fat) and get lots of rest/sleep.

By: bas

bas — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:54:49 +0000

im 185cm and about 170- 175 lbs, and want to be about 185 pound but only gain pure muscle, how would i do this?

By: robert

robert — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:12:54 +0000

tell me, my routine consists of gym training of 5-6 days emphasizing usually one muscle a day with savings legs as a two day work out, and I know this is exclusively a bulk up method. But I’ am looking to elevate my game a lot, and want to get faster. I still do run once a week for 20 min but want to resume doing sprints because I have been on hiatus for months because of a surgery but am serious about gaining speed and agility. By nature I am a small guy about 5′9″, 140 but don’t let that fool you cause i am very strong for my size and if you looked at me you would think I am more of 150 or 155. My question is would it be a good idea to undertake my normal regime for one week and the next alternate to more of a muscular endurance based work out . I believe firmly in the combination of speed and power. any feed back or criticisms would be greatly appreciated.

By: MotleyHealth

MotleyHealth — Wed, 13 May 2009 23:40:59 +0000

Jay, yes I think it will help, plus plenty of intensive cardio (interval training works best for burning fat). Really 3 rules to burning fat: exercise hard to burn, build muscle to increase metabolism, eat a healthy lean diet.

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:37:34 +0000

Hey, I’m about 6” and probably weigh about 190lbs. I have semi-good muscle definition, but find it hard to lose fat from my stomach. I’d like to bulk up a little and lose some fat. Do you think this is a good work out for me? I’ve just finished the first three days, and it definitely feels like more of a work out to me than going on a three mile run, which is what I generally do.

By: t-hunk

t-hunk — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:03:19 +0000

Yeah of course you’d need more animal sourced proteins. They have a wider range of amino acids which is generally essential. Have you ever tried gaining muscle without meat or eggs? It’s a hell of a lot harder. Not to mention even if he didn’t eat any meat he was still able to use whey as most Hollywood actors are forced too while training for a bulky role.

By: MotleyHealth

MotleyHealth — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:39:06 +0000

Sal, only you can answer this question. Things to bear in mind are – are you happy with your current progress? Do you want more muscle or to be fitter? How important are the sports, and will a bodybuilding workout interfere with sports training? If you have hit a plateau, then maybe you need to change. If you are happy with the results you are currently getting, then maybe there is no need to do the Batman workout?

By: MotleyHealth

MotleyHealth — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:36:28 +0000

Ryan, that sounds like a good plan. It is essentially a bulking regime. Remember that Bale was very skinny after filming the Machinist.

By: Sal

Sal — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:27:57 +0000

Hi, this looks like a pretty good workout, I just wanted your opinion on whether I should switch to this workout from my current workout.

Currently, I work out 4 times a week and have a rest day and another day when I’m just playing sports. At the gym, I usually do cardio for 20 mins (intensive interval training) and then a bunch of ab exercises after. I follow this up with weights and focus on a group a day (ie Shoulders, Chest, Back, Bi’s & Tri’s, and Legs). I usually do around 5-7 different exercises per group and 3-4 sets (8-12 reps and one at the end as a conditioning/endurance set).

Do you think this is an effective method to gain muscle mass and definition and burn fat, given that I watch what I eat and eat enough protein to compensate?

Thanks!

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:59:44 +0000

This is quite an interesting workout, I’m definitely trying the diets/muscle training. I have a pretty low body fat percentage, so my body at the moment is very toned. I’m pretty slim but I have some lean muscle but I want to gain about 20 pounds of muscle using this program.

So do you think I can cut out the agility exercises because of my low body fat, and replace with mere abdominal and short jogs? I am mainly focused on the muscle-mass benefits from this program.

Thanks!

By: MotleyHealth

MotleyHealth — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:38:03 +0000

How long it takes really depends on your genetics. Strength training 7 days a week is not a good idea though. If you want to get bigger, you need to be doing more intensive workouts, then giving yourself time to recover. To workout out more you can split your routines to work some muscles while others are recovering, but 7 days a week pumping iron is too much for anyone. Just stick with it, and the muscles will grow. Remember that rest is as important as nutrition and lifting – muscles grow when resting, not when working!